These documents detail the administration of the estate of the deceased Penghulu (‘Chieftain’) Abdul Lassam, who died 12 years ago in 1871. He lived at Kampong Siglap before his death. It is possible that Abdul Lassam referred to here was the founder and the first Penghulu of Siglap, who was reportedly a man called Tok Lasam. Tok Lasam’s keramat can be found at Jalan Sempadan in Siglap. There are differing accounts of Tok Lasam’s arrival to Singapore, with some versions speculating that he arrived during the time of Sultan Hussain Mohamed Shah from 1809 to 1822 and was appointed Penghulu by the British, and others indicating that he was a prince from Gowa on Sulawesi Island who founded Siglap in the mid-17th century. Tok Lasam’s possible appearance in these documents, however, corroborates his existence and lends credence to the first narrative as Abdul Lassam died around 1871. The deceased placed $200 worth of assets under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the Straits Settlements in Singapore. His next surviving kin were his two sons, Aiyoh and Hadji Mohamed Tahir, along with his two daughters, Som and Baslam. In a separate letter to the court, Aiyoh renounced his rights to the letters of administration and requested that the same rights be granted to his brother, Tahir.
